More Airlines Are Issuing Waivers In Preparation for Hurricane Harvey
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
With Hurricane Harvey increasing in strength, travel to Texas and parts of Louisiana may be affected severely. On Thursday, we alerted you to travel waivers from American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United. And today, even more airlines and travel companies are issuing waivers and notices for travel to the area.
Forecasters are saying that Harvey, which was originally Tropical Storm Harvey, will eventually become a Category 3 hurricane. Winds of 111 mph are expected by the time the hurricane makes landfall around Corpus Christi (CRP in the map of affected airports below) on late Friday, and the region is bracing for severe flooding.
Among the airlines issuing new waivers today include Alaska and Spirit. Virgin America tweeted that it's offering a travel waiver to Austin (AUS), however, its Travel Alerts page doesn't detail any waiver information.
If you're flying to/from the affected airports, you can take advantage of these change fee waivers to rebook yourself on a different date. Or, if you're just connecting through the area, you can use these change fee waivers to reroute yourself through different airports or on different dates.
Remember, if you can't delay your itinerary, airlines aren't going to be responsible for paying for your meals or hotels in the case of weather-related delays/cancellations. But some top cards have flight delay/cancellation insurance that can reimburse you for weather issues, including the Citi Prestige ($500 per passenger for 6+ hour delay), the Chase Sapphire Reserve ($500 per ticket for 6+ hour or overnight delay) and Chase Sapphire Preferred ($500 per ticket for 12+ hour or overnight delay).
Alaska Airlines
- Travel dates: August 25-27
- Airports affected: Austin (AUS), Houston (IAH), San Antonio (SAT)
- Tickets purchased on/before: August 24
- Change fees and the difference in the price of the ticket if the new travel is booked to or from the affected cities in the same cabin and completed on or before September 3, 2017 is waived. You may request a refund if you choose not to travel at all. Tickets must be exchanged or refunded on or before August 28, 2017.
Spirit Airlines
- Travel dates: August 25-27
- Airports affected: Houston (IAH)
- Modification charge/fare difference waived through: August 30
- Customers can make changes to their reservations by going to the Manage Travel page or calling Spirit at 801-401-2222.
As of this writing, Houston's two airports are also bracing for Hurricane Harvey. While the airports (IAH and HOU) plan to remain open during the storm, severe delays and cancellations are expected. As of this writing, there have been 37 cancellations and 16 delays at IAH and 33 cancellations and 15 delays at HOU.
In addition to airlines offering travel waivers, other travel companies are doing their part in storm preparation. Airbnb is also waiving service fees and enabling hosts to list their places for free. In addition, Airbnb is allowing hosts to open their doors at no cost and still cover them with the company's insurance.
If you have travel planned to the region for the dates included in the waivers, it could be a good idea to change your plans. Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a State of Disaster for 30 counties in anticipation of heavy damages, and residents are being encouraged to evacuate.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.